LAWLESS MAORIS AT KAWAKAWA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 9024, 1 November 1892, Page 3

LAWLESS MAORIS AT KAWAKAWA.

The expectation and general wish of the community was that the determined and prompt action of the Government in sending the Resident Magistrate, Mr. Bishop, with the chairman of the Crown Lands Commissioners, Mr. Mueller, to investigate the matter of the natives obstructing the work of the survey of a line ot road tnab was urgently required to the interior of the county from Kawakawa, to the proposed terminus of the Northern railway line, now in progress, would have the effecb of stopping all future aggressions. I regret to say the result is not as was expected," for since that time, not two months back, every week some new breach of law and order has occurred. • lb has been reported that the lands of the principal proprietor in the county, the Hon. Henry Williams, ever the patron and most friendly supporter of the Maoris, were invaded, and a select flock of his sheep, 112 in number, carried away, and although the police constable and several of the herds and men under Mr. Williams' employment, scoured the country in every direction for days, no trace or tidings of the stolen flock have as yet been discovered. The next week the cases of the refusal to pay the dog tax occurred. , The fines and costs in each of the nine cases that were brought before the Court amounted to ten times the amounb of the ,tax, aud musb be paid, or further action will be taken. Then came a case of brutal assault at Kaikohe, where one native severely wounded another. This case was tried last week at Waimate, and the offender committed and senb to Auckland for trial at the Supreme Court. Lastly, this week is a case of alleged cattle-lifting in the township of Kawakawa. Four head of cattle, the property of three parties, living in and close to the town, were reported to be taken in the night time and driven during the following day along . the main road nine miles to Fakaraka, "and there sold to Mr. Sydney Williams, who had actually told one of the supposed delinquents thab he wished to purchase some store cattle if he or his friends had any to dispose of. Respecting tho supposed cattle-lifters, two in number, one is said to be the son of a chief of the Ngapuhi tribe. As the cattle were purchased by Mr. Williams, he made a remark to one of his men of the fine lot of cattle he had just purchased. The man looked over them, and at once recognised one that he had himself sold a short time before to a resident on tho Scoria Flat, named James Nory, and who, it appears, Hve3 not balf-a-milo from the whare of the father of the other accused, and who had a few minutes before signed . a receipt, as is usual in all cattle transactions, as to his right to thus dispose ,of them. Steps - were at once taken by Mr. Williams, the true owner communicated with, and, finding that the beasts had been only the day before removed from his place, a warrant was ab once obtained, and, though one had run for it, he was next day taken and removed for greater safety to the lock-up at Russell, there being no tenable lockat Kawakawa. Both the accused are to.be brought before the local bench of Magistrates, Messrs. Moody and Harris, and the charges investigated. These are bad signs of the law and order which is enforced by the chiefs. There is also a rumour that further proceedings against the defaulters in thedog-tax caseaare nob to be gone on with; but I most sincerely trust such is nob the case, as any leniency in cases of this kind only lead to continued and more frequent acts subversive of all law and order in the country.—[Own Correspondent.]